The orator’s stool may be better described as a debating pulpit or lectern. Pieces like these are among the most important and prestigious treasures of Papua New Guinea’s Iatmul people. The Reading Public Museum has two of these stools that came from the Middle Sepik River area of Papua New Guinea.

The stool is a permanent fixture in this society. No human being sits on the stool; they are reserved for the protecting spirit who presides over ceremonies or the settlement of disputes. An orator stands beside the stool and calls on the spirit to support his speech.

As he speaks, the orator strikes the stool at critical points with a bundle of croton leaves for emphasis; as he proceeds, the bundle is reduced in size, but as long as any leaves remain, the speaker holds the floor. Cultural activities and the sculptural pieces created to support these activities in Oceania are generally dominated by a concern for life after death or the hereafter.

Oceania is made up of islands which include three major cultural groups: Melanesia (western sector including New Guinea), Polynesia (central and eastern sector) and Micronesia (northwestern sector). American Samoa and even Hawaii are considered part of Oceania.